Steam & Excursion > IC Mountain at Thomasboro, Illinois

Working southbound and approaching the division point at Champaign, Illinois, is Illinois Central 4-8-2 #2619. The train is passing milepost 119 at Thomasboro, and the grain elevator in the background still stands today. Across the street (to the left of frame) is now a Casey's convenience store, and today there is a defect detector at mile 119.1.

The crossing the photographer is standing at will always stand out in my memory... on my very first trip on the head-end in the employ of Amtrak, an impatient driver missed being T-Boned by us at 80 miles-per-hour by no more than a second or two.

The photo is scanned from a Kodachrome slide in my collection, with nothing written on the slide mount.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

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I wish that I had been able to see the IC mountains, of any sort, when I was growing up. We only had the mikes go through Normal on the Charter Line, and occasionally I got to see the 2-8-0's or the freight 4-6-2's depending on where I was.

Gorgeous photo!

Great image!

The only trip on the IC I can recall was in 1954.....New Orleans to Chicago on the Louisianne. We departed NO with 7 cars, and arrived Chicago with 16 cars, picking up cars at several locations along the way. What I remember is running fast, really fast. I don't know if it could be, but I think all the passenger trains were diesel powered, whereas all the freights were steam powered. Can't remember for sure, but think the entire route was at least double tracked at the time....could that be?
I'm thinking I must have seen some of those 4-8-2s along the way.
AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA

Your memories are correct. In 1954, the line was double track all the way from NO to Chi. Passenger trains were all diesel, and freights virtually all steam and on the main line, mostly 4-8-2s on freight and 2-10-2s and 4-8-2s on the coal drags. 2-8-2s on the locals.